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My dog has a special gift for ruining handling spots at seminars. She either knows way too much and I get bored. Or she spends the previous three days eating herself stupid because we're staying with someone who free feeds and won't stop while we're there, and then she can barely move when we get to class. Last club training - we hadn't had a decent walk in a day or so (crap weather - I'm a wuss), so when I get her out for our turn (and we were late because I helped set up - argh), she decides to go sniffing the first time we get to a turn not a tunnel - does a sniff lap of the entire venue without me. rotten dog. The rest of our runs were fine. sigh. I still learn heaps from the online courses - but they don't have to solve the same problems I do - like my dog does not fetch and tug. Well very occasionally but mostly - she prefers to nick off with the tug and rip it to pieces. So we don't use that for rewards. And that can slow things down a bit. Mrs RB - for someone who follows as much Say Yes/SG as you do, your posts always indicate that your dog is the one running your relationship and then she gets the blame for doing what she does. Your dog would be living, breathing and dreaming premack if she was in my household. My dogs aren't robots and they aren't perfect, but they do give me a lot of pretty amazing behaviour in return for the level of privileges they get in life. You either want it or you don't - but you're making the same excuses you've been making for years on here. If you want it, fine - go work for it. If you don't, that's fine too - but don't blame your dog for your lack of "I want it"

Don't write yourself or your dog off for seminars :) First seminar I did with a big name guru I felt the same way. I knew Darcy was only a heartbeat off shutting down on me, I was overwhelmed and freaked out and certainly wasn't getting any help/support from them. Having done probably a dozen or so now - I found it was just a matter of finding the right people and sticking with them :) These days we have so many people out there available for seminars that we can pick and choose. My advice - stalk them before committing I watch videos of their seminars, I ask heaps of questions and I find out what their background is, who's been their influence in their training and and research them too. For example - I've watched several seminar videos taken at a US gurus seminar - and while there was music over the video to block out the feedback, their body language was really off. I did a bit of background digging and what I seen in body language was also reflected in the attitude. I've watched a few videos from the last series of seminars from the one you went to and I'm pretty sure they wouldn't suit me for multiple reasons, yet several of my friends rave about them. Of course I would learn something, but I don't have endless $$ or annual leave to do every seminar out there. If a working spot feels all too scary - find someone in Aus who does seminars but also offers online private lessons or online classes. Get to know them through their online private lessons, or their online group lessons and then step up to a working spot when they are next in the area if you feel you want to - once you know them, it's no longer quite so intimidating :) There is plenty doing it now, Epic Agility, Red Dog Agility, My Agility Coach etc. Megan at Epic is one of my all time favourites and Megan does seminars in Sydney, I'm also hosting her in December :) Dave Munnings is also great - both have a knack of being able to cater for everyone, they are both really encouraging and a lot of fun.

I know at our club there is a "gap" where people want to continue to socialise with other like-minded people, have some fun with their dogs doing different activities but not get right into the competition side of it. We have had some suggestions of a self-driven group, doing some basic nose work, tracking, maybe a trip to the cross country course or even a walk down the boardwalk to the pet friendly cafe as a group. It continues to go round and around - maybe one day someone will grab it and make it happen Maybe seek out some like-minded people and find someone who does private lessons in your areas of interest?

I would highly recommend this clinic: http://www.thevetpractice.com.au/services/canine-rehabilitation-and-pain-management/

Not necessarily - that vet clinic is brilliant. I'm a 6.5 hour round trip from TVP and it's my primary vet clinic. Some of my friends managed to convince their clinic to get some test kits - just a matter of finding a vet willing to listen and think outside the square. My local vet has tolerated my request for titre testing in the past but certainly never encouraged it. It was better than some of the responses I got, including one senior vet who told me to stop being ridiculous - just vaccinate and be done with it.

Thanks everyone - ended up going through a broker and getting insurance that way.

I suspect the easy way to do this will be to run it through a Dogs Vic affiliate. Most of those insurance policies cover events regardless of whether they are held on club grounds or not. The devil will be in the detail of the Affiliate's policy. It might be, and it might not be... I think for insurance purposes everything would need to go through the club, and I've already started paying for expenses. There is also the politics side of most clubs which may make it easier just to take the $400 hit and find my own insurance, or relocate it to a facility thats been offered to me but voids the whole idea of bringing someone to rural Vic.

I'm organising a small 2 day seminar and have hit an issue with insurance - the ground I'm planning to hire looks like it's insurance won't cover the event, however if you camp there for the night you pay an extra fee to cover insurance. My limited experience with other seminars is that the facility covers all insurance as part of the hire fee, provided you're not doing anything that voids it. Is this the case with hiring a facility to run an event? At a brief glance event insurance looks to be overkill on numbers, I need something that will cover around 30 people maximum - not 1000. Is there any kind of cover via VCA - I don't want to run it at our club as it will add 2 hours travel time each day, but maybe running it elsewhere is a possibility? If anyone can give me any insight it would be much appreciated :)

I have one of those sensitive ones as well. Just ok with putting a collar on no matter whether I loop it gently over his head or clip it on. Even worse with a harness over his head despite it being paired with his favourite things - awesome treats and going for a drive somewhere. He's not scared of it, he clearly doesn't like how it feels for those few seconds. He tolerates both as he seems to understand it's a means to an end - it means we're going somewhere, and once it's on he's totally fine with it. Checked regularly and he's not sore. Makes me wonder if it's like having your hair up all day and then taking it out - doesn't hurt or anything, just an odd sensation - but some are more sensitive to it than others?

Maybe you should be discussing your concerns with the physio after you've had x-rays done and read. You haven't mentioned names but those of us who have an interest in keeping our sporting dogs fit and strong can pretty much work out who you are talking about. $150 does sound like a lot but an initial consult is a longer appointment. Yes, the physio couldn't proceed but she can't just slot another patient in at a moment's notice to fill the rest of that time slot. I'd wait and see what the x-rays show first. There is a reason why humans see a physio for muscle injuries and rehab, because your GP is a generalist not a specialist. I've had several minor injuries and one major one in my agility dogs that I guarantee would not have been picked by the local vets - no lameness, no obvious swelling. Nothing against my local vets, they just don't have the interest or skills so I do a 7 hour round trip to go to someone who does.

Go TSD!!!!! :thumbsup: :thumbsup: Jump back in on phones etc and revote - you'll need a separate IP to be able to vote again :D

A friend has a dog with a shortened deformed tail which is hooked/kinked at the end. Was thought to be caused in utero but it's related to problems in the lower back area in this particular dog. I can't recall full details but definitely worth doing your homework on. Dog was mature before the sports vet picked up something not quite right, x-rays showed the extent of the lower back problems. My Mum bred an ACD puppy with a kink in it's tail - it was like a break vs. a deformity though. He never appeared to show any problems as a result of it.

I will have to check out the D&Ds - just got some Wolf's Den pullovers custom made but don't like the shape at all, especially on my two narrower dogs At least D&D has heaps of representative photos of their products on FB :)

I like the d-fa coats but so many coats don't cover their butts properly - I'd still like to see better coverage even in the d-fas, especially for active or older dogs. The Hurrta coats look great but I hate ordering coats online - too many times the measurements haven't stacked up especially when my dogs are fit instead of the average overweight pet. Best coats I have for the girls is a polar fleece jumper that I bought them each a few years ago, wash and wear and cost about $25 each from memory. Those coats are about 4 years old and cover their butts far better than most of the expensive coats on the market. It's an over the head jumper though which might be hard for older dogs. No zippers or straps which is a big benefit as Darcy wears hers overnight. Bowie wears a soft shell D-fa which fits him perfectly over the top of his Back on Track.

I was using Ivory Coat for training treats until I opened a bag and found it full of mould Same batch and date bag on the shelf of where I purchased it was also showing early signs of mould growth - was harder to spot (very easy to miss and still feed). Contacted Ivory Coat who refunded my money but they were pretty casual about it - blamed it on transport and storage (the bag of food still had 12 months best before on it). A friend bought a bag (different batch/different dates) which was also mouldy. Store I purchased it from also got a pretty casual response from the rep in store. Mould and the subsequent toxins moulds can produce may be present but not detectable except by testing, and even back in the days of feeding Coprice and Bonnie to the working dogs as a kid - never seen mould in a dry food before. I'd love to send the samples off for mycoxtoxins to prove a point (they told me they don't need to use any kind of mycotoxin preventative because their ration is grain free, and that's where the mycotoxins come from - wrong, there are many sources of mycotoxins!!) but at $300 a test I'll just walk away from their product. Shame because I liked the idea of it being Australian made and owned, and was a great size for training with. Tried to go to Canidae Grain Free but was finding it too hard to find and the lack of stock was concerning, so now using Taste of the Wild Lamb. Good size for training (which is all I really use it for) and the dogs love it. I also bought some Canidae Grain Free treats, some Sunday Pets biscuits for the occasional meal away from home and some ZiwiPeak for treats as well - the dogs love them all :D I only buy small bags because of how little I use at a time, once I open a bag I split it up into the big 8.5 L Decor storage containers which are occasionally on special at Safeway etc - not quite as fresh as just opened but as fresh as I can keep it.

I think making sure our older dogs are still part of the action is really important - we owe it to them. My 10 y.o still does everything that my youngsters do. She still does the same strength and balance work - not only to keep her involved but also to help keep her strong and well balanced into her older years. She still does the same fitness work - beach runs, hill work, water retrieving etc. She even gets to play agility occasionally, no bars - just wings and tunnels, or be my demo dog at training when I need a dog to demonstrate something low key like a contact behaviour. He will adjust to a lower key work regime, I'll bet you're having just as much trouble adjusting :) Dogs are creatures of habit and they would be happy just doing something with you. So yes it's a habit for your boy to go to training on Wed/Fri nights and go for a walk/run or whatever at 5.30 am every morning and that's fine - but scale it down, find alternatives, work him in less physically demanding activities and don't get sucked into working him in the physically demanding work because "that's what he wants". The other thing I would do for him is find a decent physio/rehab vet etc and get a treatment plan for him - a good strength program to work on areas he needs help with, and whatever medications that might help him out. Darcy has a Zydax course every 6 months (4 shots spread over a month) and I think it's really helped her out.

The decent dog gear that you only seem to find online, most likely overseas although we are getting better with decent dog gear in Aus - and would never find at an every day pet shop. Decent collars like a full range of Black Dog, proper harnesses - performance & car safety harnesses, performance toys such as jackpot tugs, proper sports wear coats & rugs for keeping dogs truly warm in winter Hurrta, D-fa etc, even just to be able to try on and order. Decent dog boots are another item, no pet store stocks anything that will help when you've got a dog with an injured paw which needs to be protected. Offer a measuring service for specific products (coats, harnesses, boots etc) and get to know the way their products fit, I have a Lab x who is a night mare to fit for a decent winter coat because she's 19 kg, skinny and fit I don't want to add up how much gear I've purchased online over the past 10 years of dog ownership and either moved it at a reduced price or returned it and paid postage both ways for gear that wasn't what I expected, didn't fit or didn't suit. I may not travel the 3 hours specifically to go to a store that stocks all this stuff, but I certainly would make a point of swinging by any chance I got if I was in Melbourne or surrounds.

My back door is a sliding door, but had a well placed window right beside it. The glass was removed and has been replaced with a piece of marine ply with a dog door installed in it. When I sell the place I'll take out the marine ply and replace it with the original glass. That said, when one of my dogs was injured and couldn't use the dog door, I just left the back door open. Country town and fully locked backyard though

Hi Jodes, Have you tried Ivory Coat? I have a bag of the Lamb & Roo here and it has potato as the third ingredient - but it's 36% protein and 18% fat. Prime Petfood in Warrnambool stocks it :) http://ivorycoat.com.au/?gclid=CJrBgfP5y8oCFQx9vQod63EHuA Would it be possible to stock Rocky's auto feeder with dry food for during the day and raw feed him for the rest? Happy to run you through the raw feeding regime I use for my guys if you need it :) I also buy this in bulk from a friend in Melbourne so happy to grab some for you as well if it helps: http://www.raw4paws.com.au/OurFood.aspx xxx to you and Rocky :) Jess

I've only had one dog stung once so can't really comment there. However my own reaction to bee stings has gotten progressively worse, but the reaction I get also depends on how quickly and cleanly I can remove the sting. Maybe your doxie copped a full dose of venom? I've sprayed out any clover or dandelion or anything else that flowers in my lawn so I can walk around barefoot without being worried about bee stings or the dogs being stung. My native trees still attract bees but they don't bother me or the dogs, even when I disturb them with the mower.

My childhood dog was a corgi x terrier from a pet shop, but because she was always with my parents on the farm she learnt to work cattle quite well. She'd even heel them Really handy to let her out of the ute when you needed a dog in a hurry as opposed to driving the x kms home to collect the working dogs. The fact that she slept on my parents bed every night did nothing to diminish her ability as a good working dog

Might be worth getting in contact with these guys - I know they are in Victoria but they may have some contacts and ideas. The article attached shows some of the treatments they did to help Boris the Rottie :) http://www.thevetpractice.com.au/boris-brave-fight-to-walk-again/ Edited to say: Good luck Nellie - good on you for fighting for him!

None here - I use black dog collars and mostly yacht braid leads. I make a point of finding places where my dogs can be off lead and away from other dogs, they really only wear leads and collars for agility trialling - so can't say we put too much pressure on anything either!

Shape Up's online courses are really good I audited foundation and foundation proofing and got a lot out of them. Regarding verbals, I've been keeping mine more simple as I can't get my head around so many. Justine herself said that if you can't get them 80% plus right then they aren't going to be sufficiently reliable. I still have to put some thought into right and left (it's not automatic for me ) so I'm going to struggle unless I'm out there on a daily basis - and while I love agility my dogs and I have a life :laugh: Dave Munnings was fine with the verbals I have in place so that gave me more confidence in what I'm doing. I probably need a left/right turn cue but coping pretty well without it right now. :D Going back to the jumping up and barking - my 6 yo Zee will do this when she's way over the top and not thinking. I've done a huge amount of trial and error with her, the biggest winner is warm her up physically then spend 10 to 15 mins outside the ring working her down with food rewards and making sure her brain is in gear. I keep her very calm and quiet and we hang around the ring entrance for a few dogs while working tricks for food. It's been working brilliantly and she's doing some lovely work in the ring as a result, instead of screaming barking and launching at me or running across the ring to find contacts and tunnels. I let a friend say hello before she went in the ring last weekend and then spent 15 mins trying to calm her down, the low level screaming as I left her on the startling was a sure indicator that she was still way over the top and that run wasn't going to go well - but one bad run out of 4 is a really good result for Zee :D Answering your question: the Shape Up courses are all being rehashed with Justine and Jessica having new puppies, so it's hard to comment. Their foundation course I did presumed a level of foundation skills already. H360 is unbelievably comprehensive - there is so much detail. However, I find it all a little overwhelming, and I'm really not using the course much at all. Even when I was having issues with my threadles, I signed up to do a Q-Me course which was much more focussed and had specific feedback, as opposed to wading through so much info on H360.

Can't help you with folding dog beds, I know Petstock had a folding dog bed (like a big moon chair but flatter and lower) but still took up a bit of space. One of the premium dog food companies is currently giving away fold up dog beds too - you need to purchase 2 bags to score a bed though (I think it's Proplan?). I have a folding camp bed which I bought on special from Rays which two of my dogs are happy to sleep on with some extra bedding on top. The third shares with me :laugh: